11/22/2022 - Blankje Does not like this wine:

still a fat and flabby hot mess - no change from prior notes.

7/5/2022 - Blankje wrote:

Very weak. Light to medium body, muted fruit, some tannins but overall reminds me of Oregon kool-aid (Pinot Noir). Pizza wine at best.

7/5/2022 - Blankje wrote:

Getting worse with age.

12/19/2021 - Blankje Likes this wine:

Crisp and light. Touch of minerality in the style of a Sauvignon blanc. Nice pairing with pan seared grouper. An interesting alternative white.

11/16/2021 - Blankje Likes this wine:

Classic Cali Cab - this vineyard is very consistent

11/16/2021 - Blankje Likes this wine:

Lucious black and cassis fruit notes, well integrated oak adds leather and bramble notes for considerable complexity...a quintessential cabernet in its prime.

7/18/2021 - Blankje wrote:

Consistent with last year's note, still austere but not as bitter

3/27/2021 - Blankje Likes this wine:

Lucious Napa juice!

11/5/2021 - Blankje Does not like this wine:

I'm not sure what they changed. Been drinking this zin for years. It use to be a bit jammy but still bright enough with interesting black fruit complexity. Now it's fat and flabby. Almost milky mouthfeel - not enough acidity to keep everything in balance and a funky medicinal note that I've never noticed before. Wish I hadn't committed to 2 cases of this stuff. Not sure what to do with the rest of it. Very disappointed in this vintage.

2/2/2021 - Blankje wrote:

Sadly I only have one more bottle out of 3 cases purchased in 2012. Still singing with deep purple fruit, gripping tannins, and enough acid to keep everything perfectly balanced. Some leather and camphor notes to boot. Love this wine.

2/2/2021 - Blankje wrote:

Still singing when most of this vintage is over the hill. This was my last bottle from a very dignified vintage of this old guard cab

1/2/2021 - Blankje wrote:

Unexpectedly tannic and acidic

12/4/2020 - Blankje wrote:

This wine was a bit thin for my taste. (Think mixed berry koolaid). I was expecting more complexity coming from Carlisle. This was our first bottle of Grenache. Maybe the grapes were from young vines?

11/30/2020 - Blankje wrote:

Still getting better

7/22/2020 - Blankje Likes this wine:

Better than the first bottle we tried. Could be some bottle variation? Still quite austere with muted red fruit, medium body, long and a little bitter finish. Almost makes you want to pucker.

6/15/2020 - Blankje wrote:

This was disappointing. Muted red cherry fruit precedes an astringent mouth feel. Long, almost bitter finish. Seems like it is not very well balanced with the acid way ahead of the fruit on this BDM. I doubt it improves with time, but willing to give it a chance till 2022-2024

5/28/2020 - Blankje wrote:

Delicious mountain cab. Probably at its peak drinking window right now. Fantastic luscious cab

4/11/2020 - Blankje wrote:

Fantastic zin. Medium body. Lots of black fruit. Smooth tannins. Bright acidity. Baking spice and hint of pepper. Very well made zin. Long finish. Wish I had more!

4/10/2020 - Blankje Likes this wine:

Red and black fruit, medium body, well rounded smooth tannins, touch of sandal wood, spice box, nice complexity.

4/6/2020 - Blankje Does not like this wine:

This was basically a flat and flabby hot mess. Muted black fruit. No distinctive oak notes as I have become accustomed to with this producer. While I understand this is the entry level zin in the Carlisle line up, it is usually much better than this. Glad I only got a few bottles

3/31/2020 - Blankje wrote:

Big and bold black fruit gem from Biale. Well integrated tannins. Plenty of life left in this one. This was great with braised chuck roast in beef broth and red wine reduction liquid

3/25/2020 - Blankje wrote:

Cherry plumb fruit, well integrated rounded tannins, some bricking, slight hint of tobacco mushroom floor. Medium viscosity. Very easy drinker. Too bad this was our last bottle. Glad we held onto it this long.

3/25/2020 - Blankje Does not like this wine:

This was a fat flabby mess. Not sure if due to improper cellaring or just not well balanced for aging in the first place. If you have any of this I’d suggest using it as braising liquid for short ribs or chuck roast. Certainly wouldn’t buy anymore

3/25/2020 - Blankje wrote:

This was the first bottle we opened from the cellar. It was well worth the wait! This wine is in a great spot right now. Classic old world style. Plenty of cherry fruit, well balanced acid, enough tannic backbone for a great mouth feel. Tobacco, mushroom forest floor funk to boot! Wish I had bought more than a case.

3/1/2020 - Blankje wrote:

lucious mouthfeel, red and blue fruit, hint of cedar spice, long finish. Does not have a green note like so many straight cab francs. Delightful.

2/1/2020 - Blankje wrote:

Quintessential cab dominant Bordeaux blend from a great winery.

5/27/2019 - Blankje Does not like this wine:

I’ve been drinking these zins for over 10 years now and usually enjoy them This one was disappointing at best. A flat and flabby unbalanced mess. Maybe just over the hill or just bottle variation. Would suggest drink up if you have any more of this in the cellar because aging has not been good to this wine

1/7/2019 - Blankje wrote:

Finally reached its sweet spot. Big Bordeaux blend from Bolgheri that hits all the marks for a great red blend. Fantastic

8/4/2018 - Blankje Likes this wine:

This cab was far more complex than typical 2011 vintage cali cabs. Very favorably impressed.

6/1/2018 - Blankje wrote:

Phenomenal zin!

11/20/2016 - Blankje wrote:

This wine has really turned for the worst since last year. Color is now dark gold, very oily, beeswax on the nose. Poured it down the sink

2/26/2016 - Blankje wrote:

I have collected over 30 different 2010s. While I haven't tried them all yet, I've had a few, and this one was quite disappointing compared to all of the others. Didn't measure up to the complexity of other benchmarks of this vintage, a bit bitter even on the back end. I'm not sure this one will get any better with time.

2/7/2016 - Blankje wrote:

This was mush. Past its prime. Cloudy, flat plop. Maybe it wasn't cellared well. Too bad I bought three bottles of this. Would be wary before buying anything this old again without knowing the exact storage conditions.

1/21/2016 - Blankje Likes this wine:

much better than first impression. Maybe the extra bottle age helped?

12/6/2015 - Blankje wrote:

This was way past its prime. Too bad.

11/20/2015 - Blankje Likes this wine:

This was truly delicious! I wish I had ordered more of this limited production jewel on my club order.

9/10/2015 - Blankje wrote:

Medium to full body, seems very well balanced now. Dark fruit, blackberry, cassis. Nice oak on the nose. Slightly jammy. Very approachable now. Really enjoyed this wine tonight. Great QPR at $25

6/24/2015 - Blankje wrote:

Way past its prime. No complexity. Flat. Uninspiring. Might have been better in 2006 or 2009 but not a great wine now for sure

6/24/2015 - Blankje wrote:

Past its prime. Might have been good in 2012 but this wine was clearly over the hill. Drink up if you still have some because I don't think it will get better with more time.

3/9/2014 - Blankje wrote:

Does not have an explosive aroma right out of the bottle. But taste is really big. Nice balance between black and blue fruit, pepper and oak elements. Deep purple in the glass with a beautiful ruby rim. Long, thick legs are consistent with 14.8% alcohol content. Great QPR at $22. Will be adding these to the everyday drinker inventory

2/13/2014 - Blankje wrote:

Very nice QPR rosso di montalcino at $20. Medium to light legs and body. Very smooth tannins. Easy drinker....no food required. Interesting mix of red fruit and light toasty oak. This is a very nice every day drinker at this price point. Not as much tannic chewy bite as average Sangiovese dominant Rosso. Very enjoyable. Will be making case purchases for house wine inventory

1/25/2014 - Blankje wrote:

Big buttery oak chard with high acid. Apple Lear and vanilla. Hint of hazelnuts and spice. Interesting complexity with long lingering finish. First wine in the line up at springhouse wine dinner

1/25/2014 - Blankje wrote:

Crisp and acid on the approach. Great food wine for seafood. Bit of mineral finish. Apple and pear fruit notes. Great alternative to sav blanc with seafood.

1/18/2014 - Blankje Likes this wine:

Lucious mouth feel. Well balanced fruit and velvety smooth tannins. Peppery notes. Overall a great zin for the introductory price from Carlisle.

1/19/2014 - Blankje wrote:

Funky nose. Dark purple garnet color. Medium body. Grippy tannins with a somewhat bitter finish. Maybe it's too young, but i am thinking it won't get any better.

1/17/2014 - Blankje wrote:

Unfortunately this one is past it's prime.

1/11/2014 - Blankje wrote:

This wine has aged very well. Beautiful ruby garnet color. Long legs. Black currants and green pepper notes with rich caramel notes dominating the mid pallet. Nice complexity with leather and spice notes to boot. And did I mention caramel? It was delicious. Not sure what others were tasting but this wine was well worth the $40 price tag. But if you have any of this you should plan to consume in 2014 because I'm not sure how much longer this will hold on to its current form.

1/14/2014 - Blankje wrote:

Dark garnet ruby color. Nose is predominantly green bell pepper, pencil lead, leather and musty loam to boot. Some black fruit on the palet but overpowered by acid, wood and tannins on the back. Medium length finish is more pleasant than the actual taste. I don't think age will help this out if balanced wine. Although the description on jj buckley's website was intriguing, I wish I had tasted this wine before purchase. Glad I only experimented with a three bottle purchase because I won't be adding more to the cellar.

12/24/2013 - Blankje wrote:

Garnet rust in color. Light, semi transparent. Thin legs. Rose petals, tar, mocha aromas. Taste is mainly acidic. Some raspberry and cherry notes are detectable but this wine is not fruit forward at all. Very light and somewhat disappointing for a seven year old barolo. Would not buy this one again at $40.

12/16/2013 - Blankje wrote:

Complex. dark cassis berries, chocolate, creamy toast, hint of tobacco. Excellent! Wow! Rich, dark fruit, long structured tannins, will get better with time. Blend is 81% cab sav, 8% merlot, 6% cab franc, 5% petit verdot - a cab dominant cali bordeaux blend with plenty of complexity and a nice long finish. According to the package material, this was 24 months in 100% French oak, 40% new barrels, 920 cases produced. Get more if you can find it.